CI Climate Brochure

8/9/2019 CI Climate Brochure

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forgingnaturalsolutionsto climate

change


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To secure a stable climate for all life on Earth, Conservation International (CI) works to provide soundscienti c, nancial and policy guidance, practical eldexpertise and tools for decision-makers and our globalnetwork of over 1,000 partners to solve our worldsgreatest challenge. Every effort is designed to developand implement successful and sustainable solutions thatcontribute to resolving climate change while providingenduring bene ts to national economies, local

communities, natural ecosystems and biodiversity.


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an urgent challenge


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Without immediate steps to curb climate change, overthe next ten years up to 300 million people more thanthe entire population of the United Statescould sufferdamaging climate change impacts. This is in additionto those already feeling its effects.

Specifically, changing weather patterns, rising sealevels and other effects of climate change couldincrease the number of nations and communitiesaffected by coastal flooding each year, decrease wateravailability by up to 50 percent in some locations andaccelerate extinction rates of up to half of all animaland plant species on Earth.

Achieving climate security requires an aggressive andbroad-ranging approach. We must take immediateaction to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions andstabilize their atmospheric concentrations at 350 partsper million (ppm) to avoid catastrophic consequences.We must also provide human communities with theknowledge and tools needed to effectively adapt to theimpacts and influences of climate change.

Urgent action is needed, now.

Scientific evidence suggests that the current trajectoryof climate change patterns surpasses even worst-casescenarios, and could lead to catastrophic and devastating

consequences for all life on Earth.


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a natural solution


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Healthy forests and other natural ecosystems, includingwetlands, peatlands, mangroves and seagrass beds,serve an essential role in combating climate change.Protecting natural ecosystems reduces the risk of catastrophic impacts like floods and droughts,contributes to food security, allows for speciesmigration and ecological adaptation, and supportsthe livelihoods of indigenous and local communities.

Of the 1.5 billion people the World Bank estimateslive in extreme poverty worldwide, nearly 90 percentdepend on marine and terrestrial ecosystemsand the services they provide. Yet conventionalsolutions for poverty reduction and economicgrowth neglect the environmental consequences of development decisions. Without aligning efforts toimprove human livelihoods with actions designed tohelp societies mitigate and adapt to climate change,both efforts will fail.

Securing the conservation of nature and ensuring itscontinued contribution to the well-being of human andnatural communities is a central tenet of CIs missionand our approach to climate change.

To realize these solutions, we work to developappropriate policies and market and financialincentives to provide for the effective governanceof tropical forests and reduction of emissions fromdeforestation. In addition, we provide sound science,planning and financing to secure the adaptationpotential of ecosystems critical for food, fresh waterand health security.

Global policies and incentives are fundamental,but sound national institutions and financialmechanisms are equally urgent. Additionally, localcommunities and resource stewardsfrom migrantfarmers to indigenous peoplesare on the front lines,with great potential to secure natural solutions if accessto knowledge, capacity, economic alternatives andequitable participation is provided.

The urgent crisis of climate change can onlybe resolved with the right coordination amonggovernments, the private sector, civil society andlocal communities. Conserving natural ecosystemsmust be part of the climate solution.

Natural solutions to the climate crisis are immediatelyavailablewe have the technology and capacity toconserve and restore natural ecosystems today.


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Deep emissions cuts andfinancing for climatemitigation and adaptationare needed urgently, andslowing deforestation andforest degradation in tropical

regions can provide asignificant portion of theemissions reductions needed,now. Natural ecosystemsshould be recognized,protected and restored by theinternational community aspart of efforts to address theimpacts of climate change.

setting priorities


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Reducing EmissionsProtecting forests is an essential element of the battle againstclimate change, but it is not a substitute for cutting emissionsfrom other sources of greenhouse gases.

While earlier estimates from the Intergovernmental Panel onClimate Change (IPCC) suggested a GHG stabilization goalof 450 ppm CO 2 equivalent (CO 2e), current scienti c modelsindicate that avoiding dangerous climatic disruption andocean acidi cation likely requires stabilization of greenhousegas concentrations at 350 ppm CO 2e.

The United Nations Framework Convention on ClimateChange (UNFCCC) has a goal of achieving stabilization withina time frame suf cient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturallyto climate change, to ensure that food production is notthreatened and to enable economic development to proceedin a sustainable manner. Meeting these goals will requireaggressive measures in all sectors.

Immediate FundingProtecting forests and other ecosystems that provide climateregulation and a variety of bene ts to humanity requiresequitable, adequate and sustainable compensation for thenations and communities who maintain them. Funding iscritically needed to meet the climate change adaptationchallenges in developing countries. Without immediateand meaningful nancing to address the adaptation andmitigation needs of these countries, the climate crisis will onlybecome more acute and irreversible.

Funding should be committed by developed countries tostimulate aggressive measures to reduce emissions andto secure the adaptive capacity of human and naturalcommunities. Interim or fast start funding for developingcountries should be on the order of $30 billion for thethree years following Copenhagen (2010-2012) and scaledup subsequently to meet the magnitude of the climate crisis.

REDD+Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and ForestDegradation plus conservation, the sustainable managementof forests and enhancement of forest carbon requires a suite

of policy reforms and incentive structures aimed at providingcompensation to halt the deforestation and degradation of natural forests and increase their recovery and permanentconservation.

REDD+ strategies and activities have great potential tocontribute to environmental, economic and social goalsbeyond carbon storage. This approach is consistentwith the UNFCCC goal of contributing to sustainabledevelopment, climate security and other MillenniumDevelopment Goals. A REDD+ mechanism must provideincentives for all forested developing nations, includingthose that have historically maintained a high level of forestcover and low deforestation (HFLD countries), and fundefforts in those countries appropriately.

Adaptation All ecosystemsincluding forests, oceans, coastal zonesand freshwater areasprovide a natural infrastructure and

perform vital tasks, like buffering communities from stormsand other extreme weather; providing dependable ows of water for drinking and agriculture; and directly contributingto food, livelihood and health needs. By protecting naturalenvironments, we help the animals and plants that live theresustain the resources they need to adapt to the impacts of climate change, thus protecting the biological diversity thatis fundamental to all life on Earth.

Engaging CommunitiesPeople in many places are affected not only by climatechange, but also the efforts made to address it.

Indigenous peoples and local communities need to betransparently and equitably included at the earliest stagein developing any plans that may affect them. They mustbe guaranteed free, prior and informed consent todecisions affecting their livelihoods and traditional landsclearly informed about what is p lanned and ensured thatany agreements take into account their culture, livelihoodsand well-being. Indigenous peoples and local communitiesshould furthermore bene t equitably from any paymentin return for climate regulation activities and other

ecosystem services provided by the areas thatthey effectively conserve.


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demonstrating

success CI has both the scientificexpertise and practical fieldexperience to make nature-based solutions a keycomponent of efforts toaddress climate change.

We are working withgovernment, civil society,indigenous and communitygroups, and private sectorpartners to establish theconservation of ecosystemsas a central and urgentelement of a comprehensiveclimate strategy.


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delivering solutionsCI is pursuing an aggressivestrategy to mitigate greenhousegas emissions fromdeforestation and logging, andhelping all nations, especiallydeveloping countries, adapt toclimate change by preservingproductive and resilient naturalecosystems. These two keyprongs of an effective climateresponse also underpin our

efforts to promote human well-being and sustainable, low-carbon economic growth.


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n Expanding global awareness andpromotion of nature-based climatechange solutions and actions

n Helping to develop comprehensivenational climate plans

n Advising on national low-carbon

development initiativesn Assisting developing countries with

the technical and institutional capacityneeded to deliver REDD+

n Planning and implementing ecosystem-based (both marine and terrestrial)adaptation activities

n Supporting the achievement of a UNFCCCclimate agreement that provides strongincentives for nature-based mitigation

and adaptation strategies

n Supporting the development of U.S. policyat federal and state levels that providesincentives and legislative mechanisms fornature-based mitigation and adaptationstrategies in developing countries

n Strengthening and enhancing public andprivate funding mechanisms to supportREDD+ and other nature-based mitigationand adaptation strategies

n Promoting robust voluntary and regulatorycarbon markets to generate forest carboninvestment and meet standards forconservation outcomes

n Building a supply of forest carbon projectsn Increasing funding for nature-based climate

change mitigation and adaptation

n Define specific adaptation goalsassessing thevulnerability of key ecosystems and developingeffective responses based on current science,technology, capacity development and effectivecommunity engagement

n Develop and achieve specific REDD+implementation goals

n Support the development of effective nationaland regional plans, policies and institutions, andthe capacity to implement these plans

n Establish specific local forest carbon, ecosystemconservation and benefit-sharing goals

Linking local projects to national plans and supporting the development of international policies:

In order to achieve our long-term goals, CI will be taking specific action over thenext three years to contribute to a global climate solution. Specific steps include:

CIs goal is to integrate the conservation of natural ecosystems into climate change mitigationand adaptation policy and action to prevent up to 2 billion tons of CO 2 emissions annually by 2020 and to secure the adaptive potential for human and natural communities worldwide.


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a new path


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It is impossible to overstate the importance of ndingcomprehensive solutions to our growing climate crisis.

CI is committed to developing sound science, effectiveglobal and national policy, progressive markets andeconomic incentives, local capacities and practical modelsin order to deliver an immediate and sustainable response.

With the right combination of partnerships andconcerted effort, the conservation of nature canserve as our most important asset in resolving thegreatest challenge of our time.


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Every person on Earth deserves a healthy environment and the fundamental bene tsthat nature provides. But our shared planet isexperiencing an unprecedented drawdown of theseresources, and it is only by protecting natures giftsa stable climate, fresh water, healthy soils and reliable

foodthat we can ensure a better, more prosperouslife for everyone, everywhere.

At Conservation International we arecommitted to restoring and maintainingthe worlds natural systems. Through scienti crigor, creative thinking, and aggressive action, we areproving that species can be saved, landscapes canbe protected and people can thrive.

our visionWe imagine a healthy prosperous world in whichsocieties are forever committed to caring for andvaluing nature for the long-term bene t of peopleand all life on Earth.

our missionBuilding upon a strong foundation of science,partnership and eld demonstration, CI empowerssocieties to responsibly and sustainably care fornature for the well-being of humanity.

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Arlington, VA 22202 USA

800.406.2306

conservation.org

Photo Credits, From Front to baCk and leFt to right Ci/Photo by levi norton, Ci/Photo by John martin, Ci/Photo by haroldo Castro, natasha miller, Ci/Photo by sterling Zumbrunn, art WolFe* / WWW.artWolFe.Com, robin moore*, istoCkPhoto

*member oF

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CI Climate Brochure